I came home exhausted from arranging cemetery details, eyes swollen from crying\u2014and found my suitcases dumped in the entryway. Nothing was folded. My clothes were shoved inside, shoes scattered, sleeves hanging out like afterthoughts.
\n\u201cCurtis?\u201d I called, confused.<\/p>\n
He descended the stairs calm and polished. No signs of mourning. He wore an immaculate shirt, an expensive watch, and held a champagne glass. He looked energized\u2014and frightening.
\n\u201cVanessa, my dear,\u201d he said smoothly, \u201cI think it\u2019s time we go our separate ways.\u201d
\nI dropped my keys. \u201cWhat are you talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy father is gone,\u201d he said lightly, sipping his drink. \u201cWhich means I inherit everything. Seventy-five million dollars. Do you understand what that means?\u201d
\n\u201cIt means a huge responsibility,\u201d I began.
\nHe laughed sharply, the sound echoing through the empty house.<\/p>\n
\u201cResponsibility?\u201d He sneered. \u201cThere is no \u2018we.\u2019 You were useful when Dad needed someone to clean him and feed him. A free nurse. But now? You\u2019re dead weight. You\u2019re ordinary. No ambition. No refinement. You don\u2019t belong in my life as a wealthy bachelor.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I came home exhausted from arranging cemetery details, eyes swollen from crying\u2014and found my suitcases dumped in the entryway. Nothing was folded. My clothes were shoved inside,… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-327","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-story"],"yoast_head":"\n